Dark Angel
by spice of Inu-Yasha
Summary: Slight AU Inu Xover YYH : Kagome is reborn a demon as a result of a mix-up in Spirit World after her untimely death in the past. For unknown reasons she finds herself hunted by a mysterious stranger who calls himself 'Naraku' Summary Inside. Kagome X Hiei
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inu-Yasha or Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do however own this plot muhahahahaha!

**Summary:** Warning, Slight A/U: The hunted always look for a means to run from the hunter; Kagome knows this all too well. Escaping to the Ningenkai from demon pursuers who want her for unknown reasons in Makai, she soon learns that blending in and living life as a human is more difficult than expected. In her life of bitter ice she runs across a kindred spirit known as Hiei with a burning angry fire. A strange bond draws them to each other, and through a twist in fate her first seeming friend becomes yet another hunter as the Spirit Detectives are sent to capture her. Oddly enough, she finds it harder to resist capture as an odd companionship, forged through blood and sacrifice, forms with Hiei when her demon pursuers from Makai come once again to claim her.

**Dark Angel**

**Prologue: An End to Start a Beginning**

_Drip_

_Drip_

Her breaths came in heavy pants, brown eyes set in a painful wince as slowly she trudged through the foliage. The smell of smoke was thick in the air, and in the distance behind her a faint orange illuminated the otherwise velvet sky, the moon only a sliver of light in the smothering darkness. Her feet fell heavily with each step she took; behind her a trail of crimson watered the earth. The night was cold, thin wisps of vapor were visible with each labored breath she took. Still, she continued on.

'_I'm sorry, but I can do nothing for you…_'

One hand clutched a deep gash in her other arm, while that hand clung tightly to a blood smeared envelope. Even if her eyes were hazy with unbearable pain, the path she took was familiar enough that her conscious mind needn't be functional. The deep wound in her side was left to bleed, the liquid red steadily streaming down the stained clothing onto the dirt floor. After a few more minutes of travel, she finally broke through to a small clearing in the woods, an old wooden well lying innocently in the center.

'…_nor could I for your friends._'

For a moment her pain-filled eyes cleared at the relieving sight, before just as quickly they darkened again. No, this wasn't like all the other times. As she continued her legs suddenly gave out, and she fell, landing harshly on the cold grassy floor. By sheer will alone she crawled desperately towards her goal, the importance of her task fueling her desire as inch by agonizing inch she grew closer to her destination.

'_I can only_ _watch as slowly…_'

Her hand felt the smooth surface of the well before she recognized it in front of her, its familiar scent calming her somewhat as she drew herself closer. Forcing herself onto the ledge, she used her arms to support her position as her gaze shifted to the envelope still clutched in her hand. Tears suddenly fell from her eyes, slowly at first before gaining in momentum. Her hand shook, rattling the paper it held as gradually she moved it over the impenetrable darkness below. With a cry not from physical pain, she let it drop, a faint pink glow inside the only thing lighting its path as it descended into darkness. A sudden blast of blue light filled the night and she collapsed back beside the well, her sobs un-subsiding as they mingled with the blood pooling the ground.

'…_you fade away…_'

Kagome Higurashi was dying, she knew this all to well. She would die here, a failure in her mission in the spot she felt the most peaceful: the place where both her worlds were connected, the place it all started. It didn't take long; her body was already so cold, almost numb. Her fading eyes swerved to stare at the raging orange in the distance, but no remorse could grip her for her mind was to far gone to acknowledge the pain. Time seemed to tick by slowly, or was it to fast? She didn't know anymore, nor could she feel the wind that moved the grass in rhythmic dances around her. Tears no longer fell; instead her face began to freeze into an expressionless mask as death's hands slowly gripped her. 'In the end…I'll die alone.'

'…_Only to be reborn again._'

That was the last thought Kagome Higurashi experienced before darkness took her forever.

…_**100 years later…**_

"Lord Koenma!"

His gaze swerved to the ogre that had rudely burst in, a habitual annoyed expression already rising onto his face. Even at the ogre's hysterical theatrics his annoyance didn't clear it, for panicked ogres were common in the Spirit World with so many catastrophes constantly happening in the new worlds.

"Well, what is it?" He demanded, impatience starting to be a more common emotion thanks to his added workload. Curse Fate and her rash choices; he had enough paperwork handling two worlds, now he had to worry about _three_?

The ogre brushed away his boss's mood, instead making urging gestures for him to follow, "The Files! The Files--they're missing!" he cried, practically already out the door.

Koenma's face paled and he quickly stood, rushing from his office. 'It can't be…' he thought wildly, vaguely aware of the ogre hastily following behind him. 'The guarding was foolproof! Fate herself was watching!'

A moment later the awful truth was confirmed as he slammed the door open. The room itself appeared to be in its usual order; the Soul Files that were neatly sorted into boxes littered the room in random disarray. A large table sat off to the right, four soul piles organized upon its surface as per usual.

The only change was the enchanted safe resting open on a shelf just beside the table, empty.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Comments:** And so there is the start to my current and new masterpiece, Dark Angel! I really hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! Please leave reviews; I want to know how well I'm doing in my writing! Reviews are always inspiring, and it truly makes writing any story worthwhile. Thank-you for reading! I know it's been a while…I'll try not to take so long with up-dates.

**Next Chapter Preview**: Welcome to the Ningenkai: "_…__"If you draw, I _will_ kill you." It was right in her ear this time, and she felt hot breathe tickle her neck as the cool pressure of metal made itself known against her throat. A small smirk played at her lips, and in the next second she was already twenty feet away with her sword drawn and ready, "Come get me then."_

**Thanks To: **My sister-like friend Jackie, for always inspiring me to do better, and to keep at my story. Without her, the masterpiece of Dark Angel wouldn't be as it is today, or even exist for that matter! I am always truly grateful to have you as both a friend and muse! Also thanks to my best friend Nicole, who is my faithfully stern beta who strives to make my story that little bit better. I also must thank all those who plan to review this story! Writing is for the people as much as it's for the authoress!


	2. Welcome to Ningenkai

**Summary:** Warning, Slight A/U: The hunted always look for a means to run from the hunter; Kagome knows this all too well. Escaping to the Ningenkai from demon pursuers who want her for unknown reasons in Makai, she soon learns that blending in and living life as a human is more difficult than expected. In her life of bitter ice she runs across a kindred spirit known as Hiei with a burning angry fire. A strange bond draws them to each other, and through a twist in fate her first seeming friend becomes yet another hunter as the Spirit Detectives are sent to capture her. Oddly enough, she finds it harder to resist capture as an odd companionship, forged through blood and sacrifice, forms with Hiei when her demon pursuers from Makai come once again to claim her.

**Last Time:** Kagome, our human heroin, met her untimely end by unknown causes. Koenma loses mysterious documents by an unknown assailant. It's a prologue, not much to say heh.

**Dark Angel**

**Chapter One: Welcome to Ningenkai**

Crystal blue eyes cut through the darkness of modern day Tokyo. The lighting in the distance amazed her, but the stench of humans ruined any possible moment she could have experienced. Kagome wrinkled her nose in protest, trying vainly to cut away the unfamiliar and burning aromas that clung to the air in thick waves. 'Disgusting.' she thought.

It seemed that the Ningenkai was turning out to be exactly as rumored, filled with millions upon millions of humans destroying the vast vegetation around them. Huh, somewhat disappointing, but in time she figured she'd learn to handle it. She had no other choice.

A sigh almost escaped her at the realization, but instead she paused and gazed across the park before her, scanning for any possible living entities. A cloud shifted, revealing the quarter-full moon which basked the area in a warm pale glow. The light was minimal, but her sharp eyes needed even less to push through the darkest corner as if the sun were shining.

The park was small; a single swing caught on a passing breeze and moaned in loud protest. There was a lone slide to match the abandoned swing, almost looking as if it were placed there merely to fill the rather large and empty sandbox. The area itself was more of a walk-way for romantic couples; the rest of the park remained decorated in swaying blades of grass that shifted playfully in the wind. It was a perfect place for young lovers to sit and admire the woodland before them. Her gaze shifted to study the semi-forest, peering through the dark hallows. Her eyebrow quirked curiously as a squirrel scampered up a far away tree, its bushy tail twitching with unease as if sensing her attention.

Jumping from her hiding spot (a rather large tree) she cautiously crept into the open, eyes shifting continually despite her prior assessment. She was a cautious being, her paranoia an ingrained personality trait bred through years of chase. Instinct told her (despite all reason) that something else lurked in the park, something unseen and unfelt. The silence pressed upon her shoulders heavily, spiking her discomfort. She forced herself to appear relaxed, not wishing for the threat to gain knowledge that she was aware of their ominous lurking.

"So this is where I start my new life." She murmured, mainly to end the quiet, "Huh, kind of boring."

"I could make it interesting."

Her step slowed, and she paused. Peering warily around, she searched for the cold, bodiless voice who had spoken. The stranger remained unseen, and even with her acute sense she could not feel his presence anywhere. Annoyed, her hand slowly reached for the blade on her side, ready to draw it in a moment's notice.

"If you draw, I _will_ kill you."

It was right in her ear this time, and she felt hot breathe tickle her neck as the cool pressure of metal made itself known against her throat. A small smirk played at her lips, and in the next second she was already twenty feet away with her sword drawn and held at the ready, "Come get me then."

Her eyes landed only briefly on the stranger who had challenged her, taking note of his burning crimson eyes and black gravity defying hair. His expression was neutral, as if he was bored with her defiance and was merely confronting her to stir up some minor excitement. The notion irked her, to be bothered over such pettiness, but she didn't have long to muse over it before he to, vanished much like she had. Waiting for only a second she suddenly jerked her sword to her left, blocking a sparking blow from his as he appeared.

An unknown expression flashed across his features, "Not bad." before he disappeared from her sight again. He made himself known barely a breath later in front of her, his sword slashing down with the full intention of slicing her through. It was a test, she realized, and he would kill her if she failed.

Just as smoothly she blocked, a bored expression shadowing her face as she locked her cold blue with his burning fire, "Are you done playing yet?" then a coy smile stretched across her velvet lips, "Or is this _really_ all you're capable of?"

In the next instant he vanished, and she did as well. In blurred motions they each blocked the other's attacks, their swords clashing and crackling all over the park. Her eyes narrowed somewhat, annoyed at her own lack of progress; it seemed their speed and skill were evenly matched. 'Now that won't do.' She thought, gathering energy into her palm. She waited for him to pause a moment in preparation for a strike, then while he was off-guard she blasted the accumulated power towards him.

The brief widening of his eyes was enough to let her know she had surprised him, and a smug grin spread across her face as he narrowly dodged her purifying orb. A piece of his black clothing fell to the earth, smoldering into ash before being blown away in the light wind. His glare was worth the drain summoning that particular energy always caused.

"Onna, just what was _that_?"

She sped towards him, becoming invisible briefly before appearing behind him in the air, bringing her sword down onto his as he blocked, "Don't you know it's considered rude to ask a girl her secrets on the first date?" She then did a small flip and landed beside him, bringing her elbow down to his gut in one fluid movement, "After all, you haven't even asked me my name yet." she teased with a wink as he let out a painful gasp.

She didn't anticipate the quick recovery nor the sudden fist that was sent in her direction. For a second darkness clouded her vision as the impact caused a horrible burning sensation in her cheek. The force sent her flying a good distance away from him and she skidded to a halt, barely regaining her footing.

A pouting look spread across her lips, "That was mean. It's considered unmanly to punch a woman, you know."

"Hn." He grunted, not dignifying her display with a sentence.

She glared at him, "Oh, real original Mr. Dark and Broody." and rolled her eyes.

He took advantage of her momentary lapse of guard to appear right in front. She looked at him in surprise; he smiled maliciously, and then pressed his hand firmly against her stomach as a sudden orange glow erupted from his palm.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

Just as he was about ready to blast her away, or obliterate her (she wasn't sure which yet), she grabbed his hand and held on firmly. Since it was locked in firing his assault towards her, he could do nothing to thwart her next course of action. Focusing almost all of her energy (and doing it extraordinarily quickly too, which was always harder) she summoned her purification powers and pushed it into the demonic power he was mustering in a risky attempt to cancel his attack out.

The result had a very anti-climatic feel to it. Instead of any vast array of light shows that a viewer would expect to see as her power battled his, nothing happened, which meant she had won. The orb of energy that had at first felt so vast, sputtered out and all but died, leaving a pink electric static crackling around his palm.

He moved quickly away from her, utter disbelief displayed in vibrant intensity all over his face. She herself was rather surprised, having thought for sure she wouldn't have enough time to gather enough energy to render his attack void. Heck, she was surprised she even had enough pure power to do that, even if she had managed to summon it all. The cost though, was heavy, for already she felt ready to collapse.

"What witchery have you done!" the strange demon snapped at her, eying his appendage in complete outrage as it continued to cackle mockingly toward him.

She shrugged, "My secret. You can't tell me you've never been bested, so stop being such a baby about it."

He eyed her disdainfully, clutching his burnt hand, "Onna…" his voice held warning, crimson eyes glowing with menace, "Don't test my patience."

"What pat-?" Her breathing hitched as she was about to answer him, vision swirling sickly in front of her. She swayed slightly, eyes narrowing somewhat as she attempted to refocus them. Her heart sped erratically in protest, causing her breathing to be heavy and short. Damn it all! The side effects of using her power was waning on her more then she liked.

He seemed to realize this fact, for his eyes narrowed suspiciously as she swayed, fighting to remain standing. It was time to leave, and fast. Somehow though, she doubted he would let her, what with the whole burning of his hand and whatnot. 'Time to get creative.' She inwardly mused, sorting through her mind the best course to take.

"Look a distraction!" she gasped loudly, pointing behind him with complete horror written all over her face.

His eye twitched over for the briefest second, before he focused back upon her with a look that clearly said he thought she lost her mind. It was an odd thing to try and do, and of course she hadn't expected it to work, at least not in the sense he imagined.

She smirked inwardly while shrugging, "What?"

He simply stared at her, finding her question unworthy to even acknowledge. He didn't need to say anything though; his gaze conveyed his thoughts on her childish antics quite clearly.

"Fine, be all silent. You bore me anyways demon." She pouted crossing her arms, but her expression then turned serious, "Let me assure you though, the next time we meet on such hostile terms I won't hesitate to kill you. I hold no grudge against you, so I have no idea why you sought my blood this night but I won't tolerate it."

Again he merely watched her, his eyes capturing every movement she made. He still gripped his hand, the energy dancing across his skin in continued static pulses. He was wary of her, she realized, otherwise he would have attacked her at the first show of weakness. He didn't know what to expect from her, and her own attack had damaged him more then he'd like to admit or show.

Glaring somewhat at him, she huffed, "So long as my meaning is clear, I'll take my leave."

"Why are you here?" he suddenly asked, and she quirked a brow in surprise. She hadn't expected him to say anything.

Pausing she debated on whether to answer or not. Her eyes once more locked with his a second time that night, and in them she saw familiarity, an echo of her own pain, "The same reason why you are." She stated finally.

She jumped away then, and glanced back to notice with satisfaction his realization of his current predicament. His feet were frozen to the pavement. It wouldn't hold him, but it would give her just enough time to disappear.

Sure enough the next moment he looked up, she was gone.

…..

Kagome peered into her new condo with a slightly raised eyebrow. The place was in a dodgy neighborhood, but that didn't bother her. What was slightly surprising was the actual good shape the room was in; apparently her contact hadn't been lying about the sleeping arrangements being decent. She had been doubtful when he first described the location, and even more skeptical when she saw the place from the outside. Yet here it was in pristine condition and looking quite sturdy with no sign of an infestation of any sort.

Walking inside she closed the door, not bothering to lock it. If a human was stupid enough to break into _her_ territory, she could handle them easily enough. Her gaze moved over to the switch, and she flicked it on. Not that she really needed the light to see, but it made the place feel homier somehow. The room was suddenly bathed in a bright glow, and her eyes took only a moment to adjust. The place was fully furnished and for that she was thankful. The money she had been given needed to be used to stock up the fridge and pay her first month of rent. Tomorrow she would work at her prearranged jobs, though she wasn't looking forward to it.

With a sigh she yawned, her eyes hardly capable of keeping open. Deciding to explore the house at a later time, she clicked the light off then chose one of the two rooms at random, not bother getting under the covers as she flopped lazily onto the bed. She was actually thankful for her encounter with the strange demon, for it only took mere seconds after closing her eyes to fall into a nice peaceful slumber.

…..

Saturday, always such a fun time since the already busy streets became, if possible, more busy and congested. Kagome held her breath as much as she could, and all but glued her arms to her sides to keep from having as little physical contact as was possible. The stench was almost too much to bear, having never smelled so many humans at one time before. She almost wondered if she would ever get used to it, and worried what would happen if she couldn't. Luckily her job was only a good ten minute casual walk from her home, three if she rushed in a human pace.

Not far up ahead she spotted her destination, WacDonalds, and hurried inside. A fast food restaurant wouldn't pay enough for her bills, but at least it could help if combined with another job; a diner if you will. One she'd be going to right after her first shift here.

Her gaze lingered over to the employees she'd be working with, not overly impressed. With an inward groan she tried to locate the manager so she could learn how to start her shift, and maybe get a stupid uniform. Not that she wanted one, but she wanted to blend, so one would probably be helpful…and mandatory.

Casually she walked towards the front counter, leaning across it in the direction of a nearby employee, "Hey, do you know who I see about starting my shift?" she kept her tone as polite as possible, not wanting her true annoyance and disdain about being there to seep through. It was hard though.

The employee (a teenage boy with freckles and dark brown hair) paused, turning thoughtful. She kept her increasing aggravation masked, resisting the urge to get the answer forcefully by throttling it from him.

He glanced at the clock, then turned back to address her, "I think Daichi's on shift right now, though he may be on break." The boy shrugged helplessly, "You might want to try talking to Cho, she'll be able to find someone who can help you out."

Kagome forced a grin in appreciation, and waited a moment for him to point out who this Cho person was. In turn he stared back at her, confused as to why she was still there, and feeling uncomfortable at her unwavering gaze.

Discretely gritting her teeth she plastered on a patient smile and grounded out in the sweetest voice she could manage, "And Cho is where?"

The boy blinked stupidly for a moment, "Oh!" he finally said, face flushing in embarrassment, "Right over there." His finger pointed to a tall woman with flaming red hair and piercing brown eyes. Currently she was listening to a complaint from an unsatisfied customer.

With a raised eyebrow she glanced back to the boy, "Who is she exactly? Like…what's her status?" Frankly if Cho was a manager, she saw no need to worry about this Daichi guy.

"She's an assistant manager." He replied with a shrug, "At least I think so, I've only been here a week."

Kagome blinked, "Oh. Well thanks for your help." The last part was added as an afterthought.

The boy flashed her (what he probably thought was) a charming grin, "No problem. If you need any more help feel free to ask me any time."

She felt herself forcing yet another smile, "Sure thing." before casually walking away, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Cho was finished with the customer by the time she approached her. The red head caught her eye and Kagome could see her trying hard not to visibly wince. Instead she put on a realistic welcoming smile that had probably been honed from years of practice and greeted her with a polite, "How may I help you?"

Kagome tried her best to smile back, "I was told to ask you about starting my shift here?"

Cho frowned for a moment before her eyes lit in realization, "Oh! You must be Kagome, right?" she paused for confirmation.

Kagome nodded, "The one and only."

She hardly waited for her answer before she continued, "Good, because we're short on staff today. Follow me; I think Daichi's just hiding in the back."

Doing as bid she found herself led into a small, almost claustrophobic, staff room. In the middle was a single table with five chairs piled around it and to the left was another room that led into an oversized freezer. The only other items in the room were a candy vending machine in the back left corner and many fans that littered the floor in random disarray. The space itself felt stuffy, and the fans blew endlessly in a desperate attempt to circulate the stale air. Sitting at one of the chairs was a guy who she assumed must be this Daichi person.

Cho crossed her arms, "Didn't your break end ten minutes ago?"

Daichi, a man with short black hair and deep brown eyes, grinned sheepishly back, "What_ever_ do you mean?"

Shaking her head Cho sighed, "Whatever, this is the new girl, Kagome. Do your job for once! She's all yours to look after." And with that she turned, disappearing behind a corner with a swish of long red hair.

Daichi stood, stretching and letting out a small groan, "Ugh, what a day." He muttered to himself, and then turned to address Kagome for the first time. A pleasant smile lifted his lips, one Kagome felt was sincere, and he walked over and bowed, "Pleasure to meet you, my name's Daichi, I'm a manager here."

Kagome bowed somewhat awkwardly, "You've already heard my name, and the um…pleasure is all mine." It was so hard to remember to be polite, especially to humans. 'Just act normal…ish.' She chanted at herself.

"Wonderful! Now if you'd just follow me, I'll get you your uniform and then teach you how to use the till."

The nine hour shift passed rather slowly. She learned everything about the till the first time he showed her, and was deemed (with some awe) good enough to start helping customers right away. Her face hurt from smiling so much, and she felt so caked in grease she wondered if she'd ever get it out. Learning the general dynamics of how things worked was easy enough, and soon her workers forgot that she was a first day employee. By the time she was done it was already going onto eight, which left her an hour before she had to start at her next job at nine.

Rushing home (being as human as possible) she quickly showered and got changed for her next task, taking amazingly only a half hour. This job she was looking even less forward to, alas it was the only other one her contact could find, given the information he could present to them. Not many people felt too thrilled about hiring a person who sent someone else for the interview with a profile in hand.

Ten minutes later, just as she was grabbing her jacket, the carpool that would take her to her next job pulled up outside her condo, and with a sigh she went out to greet it.

…..

Five hours later, at one fifteen in the morning, she trudged inside, not really physically exhausted but mentally. It was hard pretending to be human, and even harder being _nice_ to humans, especially when the human males openly stared at her, and she wanted nothing more than to gouge their eyes out of their sockets. Tomorrow the same routine would start again, then come Monday a new horror called school would take her patience to the limit. After all, she had no intention of working in that kind of garbage for too long. They may be fun and good for some people, but definitely not for her.

Then after school she'd work again at WacDonalds, then Tuesday after school would be the Diner, Wednesday WacDonalds, Thursday and Friday she had off. Then everything would repeat itself from the one before it. So was her schedule for quite some years. It would be mundane and difficult, but she had no choice but to persevere.

Flopping onto her bed she let out a miserable moan, "Damn life…damn demons for forcing me into this damn life…damn jobs for being so damn aggravating, but most of all damn humans for being so damn annoying!" her voice rose near the end of her tirade, and she shook her fist at nothing in particular.

Her brief burst of emotion faded almost as soon as it had come, and her eyes lowered before closing. Sorrow, like it had for most nights, gripped her painfully, but she would not cry. The ice in her eyes froze all tears in place, trapping them deep inside where they would forever remain. She learned early on that the past could not be altered, but it could chain itself onto your present like a lead ball constantly reminding you of its weighted existence.

Such was the pain of the _forbidden_.

Her fist clenched as the word echoed mockingly in her mind. It was hard enough being a female demon, as the gender was usually viewed as inferior among the males and they were often thought of as nothing more than an item to use and dispose of. No, it wasn't enough that she was a tool in her race and would have been thought weak if not for her speed. If she were normal, she would be a simple ice-maiden with crystal blue hair, much like everyone else in her race, and she would be able to cry something of value.

She was not normal however; even her abnormal speed set her apart besides her obvious contradictory appearance. Oh no…she also (just to make her even more different) had to acquire the strange ability to summon pure power, the most lethal weapon to demons, and the most disgraceful abomination to be wielded by those it was meant to destroy. She was a monster…forbidden in the simple wrongness her ability represented. Demons by law of nature should not be able to use pure power without being destroyed themselves.

Yet here she existed, living contradictory to that assumption. The power drained her of energy yes, especially so if she used it in large amounts, however, it did not burn or purify her. Strangely though she could send it upon her brethren and demolish them into nothing but dust if they were weak, or burn them badly if they were strong.

It made absolutely no sense at all, and because of it she found herself unable to fit in anywhere in the world. "Worse than a half demon" they would say. Now that was pretty bad, since half demons were disgusting to imagine in the first place…or so most demons thought. Being an outcast, she wasn't picky when it came to background, which was how she ended up here in the first place.

"To hell with it, who wants to be like everyone else anyways?"

…..

Koenma paced his office with relentless intensity, his eyes occasionally looking towards a giant TV screen where numerous red dots glowed ominously, seeming to glare towards him in mocking clarity. The screen itself was separated into two halves, one side being a map of the world, and the other a map of Japan. He paused briefly to stare at the map of Japan, eying where a large amount of red dots resided over Tokyo, before starting his unceasing gait yet again. 'It doesn't mean anything.' He told himself firmly, adding a sharp nod to make it official, 'Just a typical fluctuation.'

An ogre suddenly burst into the room, waving a paper with a diagram on it hysterically, "Koenma sir! More demons are trying to break through the barrier! At this rate it won't last much longer!"

Koenma sent him a sharp look, "Whereabouts?"

"Tokyo!"

Unease filled Koenma, and his gaze moved towards the accumulation of dots lurking over Tokyo city. 'It means nothing…' he thought again, but it was filled with more uncertainty then before. Turning to regard the panic stricken ogre, he sighed, "Send in the Urameshi team."

The ogre hastily nodded, all but bolting from the room to carry out his orders. Koenma himself merely sunk heavily into his office chair, a hand rising to rub his temples. 'It's nothing at all. The spirit detectives will simply clean up this mess and everything will be as it was.' Somehow he had trouble truly believing that possible.

…..

'So…this is school.' Kagome thought with no real emotion, gazing at the looming brick building that looked more like a jail than a learning institution. She walked purposefully into the crowd, content that even the slightest person with spiritual energy would not be able to sense her demonic heritage.

Yet another advantage to her miko powers was the ability to have the power seep out and cause the two opposing energies, being her demonic and holy energies, to cancel each other, making her appear only human. It was slightly taxing on her strength, but a minor distraction for the greater uses she had put it towards in the past. If anything, the drain was like a mosquito bite, noticeable, annoying, but equally livable.

'Livable….' Her mind repeated the word, somehow finding humor in it, 'Life is livable.' Her cobalt stare lingered back to the ominous building in front of her, and she frowned slightly, truly speculating about what it meant in her current situation.

This would be the true test of the human world being 'livable', at least to her. Without this institute she would never make it. She refused to work in low-paying jobs for the rest of her life, just as much as she refused to live surrounded by humans if her patience could not handle something as low packed as 'school'. Indeed, here her fate would be decided in either days, or years. It all uncomfortably remained up to her own endurance whether she would succeed or fail.

'I think I'll manage so long as no human males attempt idiotic passes at me.' She mused, analyzing her likely encounters, 'The last thing I need is some stupid triangle between me and a jealous conniving female. It would be very troublesome.' Her gaze now lingered to the milling students around her, thoughtful, 'No, I think it best to keep a low profile. Friendships are too much hassle, and popularity is a cautious road to travel. The ghost approach would best suit me here.'

So lost in thought was she, that she barely had time to register when she abruptly smashed into a solid chest. Startled, but only somewhat, she jerked back, wishing to end the contact as soon as possible.

Meanwhile her unfortunate victim cursed viciously, rubbing his arm with a sour expression as he slowly turned to glare angrily towards her. In respite, she stared back at him with a cool and annoyed expression. 'Please…' her mind begged inwardly, 'please don't make a scene.'

He blinked once, his sour mood evident before it suddenly disappeared, "Damn…if I saw you naked, I'd die happy." His head shook, and he gave a rather loud approving whistle while his eyes hungrily drunk her appearance in.

"And if I saw you, I'd die laughing." She bit back, eying him with increasing anger.

Her assessment of him was more discreet, eyes flashing with quick motions to capture his picture with a memorable gaze. The boy himself wasn't too bad on the eyes, for a human. He had the roughish punk look going for him, and soft doe brown eyes that spoke of a hidden compassion. Despite that, she did not want to run into him and his slicked-back coal hair again. She sensed the noticeable tingle of spirit energy emitting from him, which caused her to be cautious. His potential could be latent, or fully thriving, she knew not which but did not wish to provoke a show.

"Now stuck-up aint a good look." The boy reproached with crossed arms, his sour mood instantly back in place.

Her eyes narrowed, "Neither is having small balls, but I'm _sure_ that's not why she left you."

Strangely a spark of hope lit his eyes, "Have you seen Keiko?"

She raised a single eyebrow; he completely disregarded her comment, "No...I-"

Before she could finish, his head suddenly snapped back to a whispering crowd of people, "What did you say?"

The group flinched, and the boy who had just spoken paled, "N-Nothing!"

She watched the interaction with slight hope, having known exactly what the boy had said, which was something about Keiko being knocked-up. If her suspicions were correct and this Keiko was important, then a big scene would result from such a comment, and maybe it would allow her to slip away unnoticed. Unfortunately she couldn't just walk away because of the crowd that was now viewing the confrontation; they blocked her escape and would only part after she openly dismissed herself. If only the sight of randomly disappearing didn't frighten people so much and if only it didn't blow the cover of what she truly was. Such was the stresses of pretending to be human; frankly it was getting to be tiring.

"What do you know about Keiko!? Huh?! I'll fucking punch whoever the bastard is that started this stupid rumor!" he suddenly raged, and as his emotions increased his spirit energy started flaring rapidly to life around him.

Unconsciously she stepped back, uncomfortable with the raw energy wildly moving about him. 'Who is this guy to have so much power? He couldn't be one of the infamous Spirit Detectives could he?' she mused, eying him suspiciously. He did fit the rumored description of one, though she could not recall the name of whom.

"Keiko never left me, got it? She didn't run away either and she is NOT pregnant!" the boy continued to rant and rave while she could only watch him with hopeful eyes, a little bit more and she would be silently forgotten and dismissed, "I don't give a damn about my own rep, but I won't tolerate someone tarnishing hers!" His sharp eyes then locked onto her, and she inwardly cursed, "_Did_ you see her today or _not_?"

She glared at him, her temper flaring at the tone he addressed her in, "No, I don't even know who Keiko is, nor do I care. Now excuse me," she pushed past him completely annoyed now, while trying her hardest to ignore the burning stares that studied her every move, "I've got better things to do then to listen to someone whine about some bitch."

A strong hand suddenly encircled her wrist, "Wait, just who the hell are you?" there was something to his voice that sounded suspicious, not angry like she first expected.

At the touch however, her body instantly tensed with a sharp intake of air. Her mind was acutely aware of the warmth from his hand, the way it spread through her palm, and the vice-like grip that ensnared her wrist mercilessly. Images flashed to the surface of her mind, ones she roughly shoved away. Grinding her teeth harshly together a low growl, inaudible to human ears, vibrated from her throat. Something inside her snapped. No one touched her.

In the next instant she whirled around, her fist colliding with the strange boy's face in a blur of motion. He was sent back only a few feet (surprisingly enough, normal humans would have flown a bit further even though she _had_ held back her punch) and landed hard on the pavement floor. It didn't take him any real length to recover; in fact he was already sitting back up rubbing his abused cheek ruefully.

He didn't say anything to her, like she expected. He merely stared at her with an odd expression, like he was overly confused and trying his hardest to solve some great mystery. She could only watch him back, compelled to by some unseen force, almost as if his burning chocolate gaze had paralyzed her. She felt no great attraction for him, but her instincts rallied that some significant event would unveil itself soon. With such a thought imminent, she quickly turned away, breaking the connection. She did not want to wait and see what he discovered.

She felt his stare smolder on her back the whole way into the school doors, along with every other set of eyes present on the field.

And that's how her first day at school started.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Comments**: Not bad for a first chapter eh! And a cookie to those who guessed who the boy was! It's kinda obvious…at least I think so but then again I am the authoress who wrote it :P Review please and let me know my mistakes and your general opinion on my writing! I love critique so long as it's not too harsh, and I embrace flames with all my heart while I thoroughly enjoy icing them back to reality! Unless their point is valid, then I state so. Thanks to anyone who reviews, good or bad! Until next time! Ja ne!

**Number of Reviews Received on Previous Chapter: **9

**Total Number of Reivews: **9

**Next Chapter Preview**: Hunted: "_…He shrugged helplessly, "It cannot be explained. But the lure to you is a maddeningly intoxicating one with the promise of power. It's easy to find you if we follow the voice."_ _Unease gripped her; she had heard others speak of this strange call before." …_ _"I'll sooner die then follow any of you 'peacefully'." She spat, drawing her blade, feeling rather confident after her assessment. That was the signal to start the battle, and so she braced herself for the upcoming onslaught."…"  
_

**Thanks To: _kinky-kitsune_** (I hope it continues to be interesting), _**LeafeKnight7**_ (Here's another chapter, hope you like it too!), _**zoey tamagachi **_(You have to be patient! :P), _**Aoko Rosetta**_ (Hope this up-date was to your satisfaction), _**-Yuna's Reincarnation-1**_ (Is this soon enough?), _**ayashi77**_ (Thank-you, I hope it continues to look that way), _**WhyWhatShutup**_ (I hope this is a tolerable way to keep her powers), _**Reads-way-2-much**_ (You interested even more now? ;P) and lastly _**PiratekitAG**_ (I hope you continue to like it!) for actually taking the time to review my story!


	3. Hunted

**Summary:** Warning, Slight A/U: The hunted always look for a means to run from the hunter, Kagome knows this all too well. Escaping to the Ningenkai from demon pursuers who want her for unknown reasons in Makai, she soon learns that blending in and living life as a human is more difficult than expected. In her life of bitter ice she runs across a kindred spirit known as Hiei with a burning angry fire. A strange bond draws them to each other, and through a twist in fate her first seeming friend becomes yet another hunter as the Spirit Detectives are sent to capture her. Oddly enough, she finds it harder to resist capture as an odd companionship forged through blood and sacrifice forms with Hiei when her demon pursuers from Makai come once again to claim her.

**Last Time:** Kagome ventures into the human world for the first time, where she encounters a mysterious demon with crimson eyes and black gravity defying hair. It is revealed that Kagome is some strange forbidden demon hybrid with the odd ability to use miko energy against her demon foes. Koenma is flustered at the abnormal increase of demons trying to get into Tokyo city, and sends the Urameshi team to go and destroy them before they can cross. The next day at school, Kagome runs into an odd boy with spirit energy, who thinks she knows who started some rumors about a girl named Keiko. When he touches her hand and she punches him, he seems to be confused by her afterward so she retreats inside the school.

**Dark Angel**

**Chapter Two: Hunted**

Her day at school proved to be taxing. Ever since the show with the boy in the school yard named Yusuke (she found his name out through the continuous whispers from students) everyone in the school both feared and admired her. Some called her foolish for picking on the 'Legendary Punk Yusuke Urameshi', while others thought her more fearsome then the punk himself and avoided her at all costs. It suited her fine, but she rather despised being the center of attention. Constantly she had eyes upon her, burning like gauging holes through her conscious.

Gym was another test of her ferocity, at least to the students, as if to confirm the millions of rumors milling around about her. The class was at the start of a wrestling unit (of all things) and so many boys in the gym eagerly challenged her for a match, wanting to test the strength and stamina of the one who dared punch Yusuke Urameshi. She was almost tempted to let them best her, just to stop the star attraction she somehow created, but pride and her disgust at their actions forced her hand into rendering them useless in seconds (they were so pitifully weak). After she defeated ten boys without breaking a sweat, or receiving any hits, no one asked to wager a battle with her again.

So the rumor mill continued with more vigorous energy, and soon by the end of the day the whole school had come to know of the stranger with a whispered name. Whispered, because if she heard it mentioned then she would glare her famous glare that silenced stronger beings then them. She did not appreciate humans making it so blatantly obvious about whom they were talking about, nor did she like the sound of her name uttered by something so annoying. To avoid her wrath, they created a nickname, Dark Angel, and spoke it when they spoke of her. It was horribly unoriginal and sounded like something stolen from a cheesy action movie, but she decided to let it slide.

Still, she found it amazing that by only attending a day of school she had gained such a terrifying reputation. Though she would not admit it, it pleased her as well. All in a day she had managed to mold the students into her manipulating fingers, coercing them with merely a look to do as she pleased. The attention bothered her, but it also flattered her. Never in her life had she been viewed with eyes such as theirs that were not filled with insanity or lust for blood, but rather fear or admiration.

As for Yusuke himself, he was not seen for the rest of the day. In fact, he almost seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. The students weren't bothered by it; rather they seemed more surprised that he had shown himself in the first place. Apparently running into the infamous punk was a fearful rarity. Too bad, she wanted to learn more about him, if only for her own safety.

Despite her claim to fame though, it was still with great relief that she finally went to the sanctuary of her home. There she prepared for her tortured shift at WacDonaulds, and eventually left for work with reluctant steps.

….

It was ten thirty when she finally started home. Just as she was about to turn the knob of her condo, fate stayed her hand. Her body felt restless from the pent up emotions gathered throughout the day, and a sudden wanting caused her to turn and stroll back down the mini sidewalk across the lawn. She didn't feel like going home, not just yet. What she needed now was not to curl onto her comfy bed, but rather to let loose in some unknown area and just _be_.

She had no idea where the sudden urge came from, but it was strong and demanding. She yielded to it with unresisting delight, allowing her feet to steal her away from her one sanctuary in favor of the unknown. It had been days since she last let go to her full demonic stride. Her muscles cramped at the unaccustomed disuse. She yearned to once more flash her blade in the dead of night, honing her life-saving skills as she had many nights before. It was a blissful paradise the physical exertion, one someone had to experience to understand. She knew in another few nights this feeling would call to her again, and just like now she would willingly fall victim to its lure.

She knew not why her feet brought her to this particular area, the place where she first entered the Ningenkai, and the place where she first dueled that strange demon. Maybe she was searching for him, remembering the thrill his fight had given her, and having been filled with the need to use her abilities sought him for an outlet. It was practical, but foolish. He was strong, maybe stronger then she and so caution was needed. Seeking out her death for a mere thrill was not something she had on her agenda.

It seemed though, someone else had it on theirs. Or rather, a lot of someones.

Her neck prickled at the familiar chill of raging demonic energy. Somehow, they had managed to sneak upon her without her knowledge, for she was already surrounded by them. Her hand curled around the hilt of her blade, blue eyes flashing in the darkness as she sought out their forms. 'I thought I was safe from this bullshit! Will they follow me to hell if I go there too?' she wondered, bewildered completely.

One of the demons emerged from the cloak of darkness, "So this is where you've been hiding."

A snarl tore from her lips, "How did you find me?"

He smiled crookedly, "Any demon can if they just listen to the call."

"What call?"

He shrugged helplessly, "It cannot be explained. But the lure to you is a maddeningly intoxicating one with the promise of power. It's easy to find you if we follow the voice."

Unease gripped her; she had heard others speak of this strange call before. She felt nothing of what they spoke of, and tried in vain to cloak this mysterious presence that called to all tainted beings alike. This strange link often lead her enemies to her with ease, but she had hoped that going into a whole other universe would sever this odd energy emitting from her, or at least keep it from being heard. It seemed to be more powerful then she originally thought. How frightening.

More demons followed the lead of the other, and materialized from the darkness. Some stared at her with an odd tinge of insanity, a sight she had grown accustomed to in the lower ranking demons when around them, while others watched her with excited eyes.

Whatever this call was, it robbed demons of their usual sanity the closer they got to her, unless they were strong enough to resist its voice. That was useful for a number of reasons to her, one being it made separating the stronger ones easier from the weaker. A downside though, was it made the weaker ones incredibly unpredictable.

"Come peacefully and your blood won't be shed this night, at least not by us." The same demon as before continued, his stare unwavering as he studied her movements.

In return, she eyed them all carefully, taking note of how many weak ones there were to how many strong. Altogether they numbered twelve, five being weaker, four on medium ground, and three rather strong, at least in comparison to the others. It wasn't good odds, to some pathetic lower-leveled demon anyway. She actually found it was rather strange; her pursuer had sent much stronger demons hungering for her blood in the past. Surely he would realize that weaker ones wouldn't fare any better against her might? 'Unless he has a trump card hidden somewhere…' her eyes peered warily around, but she sensed no one else.

"I'll sooner die then follow any of you 'peacefully'." She spat, drawing her blade, feeling rather confident after her assessment. That was the signal to start the battle, and so she braced herself for the upcoming onslaught.

As expected, the weaker ones charged her with eager vigor, drunk off the power of the voice, whatever it was. She weaved around them, slashing when she could and dodging their haphazard strikes. They fought in no real formation, but with jerky unpredictable movements that made them somewhat formable. She disposed many of them quickly, not wishing for their distraction when dealing with the more dangerous threats.

It didn't take long for the big boys to join in on the fun. Just as she slew yet another weakling, she found herself rolling on the ground, barely dodging a strike to her back. Standing back up she had a spare moment to glare at the one who had attacked so cowardly, before she was forced to move her sword to block a second strike upon her from the right. It took little of her speed and knowledge to keep ahead of her attackers, constantly weaving through them, dodging before slashing. Soon their numbers dwindled until only the three stronger demons remained.

This was the real fight, they all knew it, or at least the three demons thought it. The others were merely there to test her abilities, wear her down while the strong studied her fighting style, she being too distracted to study their own. Normally such a stupid tactic pissed her off, for she hated having the disadvantage. This time though, she forgave it, for she knew if they were the strongest, then surely they would need any advantage they could get for their strength was not impressive. The three began to spread, circling her in an even tighter perimeter then before.

Suddenly, she smirked at them.

"Whelp boys, I hate to break it to yeah but you're all going to die." Her eyes lingered over each of them, promise shining vibrantly through.

"Such overconfidence will kill you in a real battle." One demon spat, annoyed.

She laughed softly, "Indeed it would, if that were the case."

A ball of energy was suddenly hurled at her, and she dodged easily, appearing behind the assailant with a disapproving tsk, "That wasn't nice, I wasn't finished talking."

Just as he turned to slash at her, she vanished from his view again to appear back in the center of their mishap circle. A bored expression darkened her features, and she gazed at her sharp claw-like nails detachedly, "You know, I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge. I mean, he's sent way stronger then this before."

The demons all snarled at her, their energy growing as their rage increased. Still, it bothered her little, because though she hadn't a chance to study their moves, she had plenty of time to gauge their power, and was not tormented of any threat by it. It came as no surprise when all three charged her at once, and with a malicious, almost evil grin, she readied her blade.

Just as she was about ready to hack the stupid demons to pieces, she felt her body grow oddly heavy. The world swayed sickly before her, as if she had used her miko energy to much and was now exhausted to the point of collapsing. The demons continued their assault, and she managed to dodge only a few of their attacks while the others tore into her flesh with the cool bite of steal.

Unwanted, a cry tore from her, and she hissed with pain before managing to pull away from them. Her hand rose to her shoulder, applying pressure to a rather grievous wound. The smell of blood, _her _blood coated the air in thick waves. She suddenly started to shake, her face pale and her breathes heavy. 'Relax.' She told herself, 'Just relax!' It was futile however, for panic continued to speed her heart and cloud her clear thoughts.

"_Kagome!"_

The voice rang in her mind loud and clear, as if it were shouted in reality. Yet she could not, _would not_, focus upon it; those moments of her life were supposed to remain tightly locked from the forefront of thought. Other things were more important to place her efforts on; like the continued drain of her energy and the source it was seeping off to. Try as she might though, annoying memories assaulted her, uncaring to her plight as they filled her mind viciously and mercilessly. Her already hazy thoughts deteriorated into something less comprehending. The demons were coming at her again, of that she was vaguely aware of, but her body at this point refused to listen to her mind's forceful commands.

"_Kagome! Kagome!"_

The voice continued to torment her, and she refrained from clutching her ears, knowing it would not smother the metal shouts. Her own scream began to bubble in her throat, but she desperately focused instead on her on-coming assailants and smothered her hysteria. With wobbly knees she forced herself to ready her blade, breathes heavy from the simple exertion it took to move her arms and from the amount it took to concentrate. Strangely, the feeling of her energy being stolen had suddenly stopped, but none of her energy prior had returned. She was only vaguely aware of an odd faint light of white surrounding a bush, which pulsed with every beat of her heart. Swaying slightly she prepared for a battle that she had no energy to fight.

Somewhere from the corner of her eye, she saw a strangely familiar blur of black. A figure appeared in front of her attackers just moments before they were near enough to slice at her, and in the blink of an eye, they were dead. The stranger then turned to peer at her, and if she hadn't been so delusional she would have gasped in surprise.

It was the same demon that had attacked her on her first night in the human world.

"Onna, are you truly this stupid? Can you not even realize when your soul is being sucked away?" he chided, suddenly disappearing again. She turned, wondering where he went, only to see him slash at the thing glowing behind a tree.

A small girl appeared in the clearing then, forced to reveal herself in order to dodge the strange demon's attack. It was amazing how she had gone so unnoticed, being clothed in white with snow white hair. She contrasted so brightly it was unnatural, the only thing blending with the night were her abnormally dark and void-like eyes. Still, things became clear as to why she had missed the presence before; the girl herself had none to be noticed at all. In her small hands she clutched an oval mirror, as if the object were as precious to her as her very heart. The reflection in it could not be seen though; all that shimmered was a blank mass of blue.

In the next instant, Kagome felt her strength come rushing back. It was so unexpected, she almost fell over. It seemed since this strange child had lost concentration, she could no longer keep sucking away her soul, having not acquired all of it yet to trap it. Kagome glared darkly at her, no one had any right to steal any soul. She would have acted upon her anger, if the smell of her blood didn't continue to cloud her reason.

"_Kagome!"_ The internal voice called at her again, desperate and filled with pain.

She dropped to her knees, hugging herself, her breathing deep and heavy. 'Get a grip, ignore it. It's in the past, you can't change it. Relax…breathe…' The mental chanting soon calmed her down, and she was able to place her focus back upon the events at hand.

"Just who are you?" the demon with crimson eyes questioned, and she couldn't help but wonder why he cared.

The girl with the mirror merely tilted her head slowly, deep black eyes filled with no expression. She almost looked like a doll with her face frozen in an empty mask, not even a twitch to indicate her flickering thoughts. With a slow blink, she finally spoke, "They call me Kanna of the Void."

Her voice was flat, just as emotionless as her whole demeanor. It was creepy as hell. Never in her travels had she come across this demon before.

"Why are you here?"

Kanna's charcoal eyes turned to stare at Kagome briefly, before they focused back on the demon with crimson eyes. He too, turned to gaze at her thoughtfully, curious now as to what made her so special.

In his momentary distraction, Kanna turned to leave, as if some silent command had signaled the end of her stay. The crimson-eyed demon bolted to her location, but he was too late. Once Kanna entered the bushes, she all but disappeared from sight. Kagome inwardly cursed, annoyed that her questions for Kanna would not be answered. With a sigh she turned to regard her would-be savior instead, content to puzzle over his surprise rescue rather than mull over Kanna's disappearance. She was used to not getting her answers anyway when it came to the hunting group.

The strange demon himself turned back to meet her lingering gaze, a hand on his sword, apparently still suspicious of her. She couldn't blame him, I mean they did try to kill each other the last time they met, but at the same time, it was him who started it anyways. Which once again brought her back to the question of why he bothered to save her?

Standing, she dusted herself off, "Well, that was fun."

He merely made an audible noise, turning away to stare at the space that Kanna had disappeared at. I guess she wasn't a threat anymore, or maybe he figured her too weak to do much harm on him. He was probably right, but that didn't stop his dismissal of her from being overly aggravating.

"So, you gonna tell me your name, or even better, why you decided to play Batman?" her eyes bore holes into his back, watching his movements closely.

He peered at her from over his shoulder, his gaze searching for something in her she didn't know. It was a long uncomfortable moment before his stare finally moved to the surrounding trees, and his response of, "No, I'm not, and I did _not_ play _Batman_." broke the building silence.

She glared at him now, completely annoyed, "Why not! I think I deserve an explanation!"

He was suddenly in front of her, blade pressed dangerously onto her throat, "You deserve no such thing. Remember onna, it's through my grace that you live to see the sunrise." His free hand gripped her wounded shoulder painfully tight, "You are in no condition to battle me."

She kept from openly wincing at the pressure he applied, and instead stared at him defiantly, "I wouldn't be so sure." Probing the store of her miko energy, she summoned the power to the surface and forced it to surround her person.

The demon pulled away from her then, cursing as his hand smoldered painfully. She smirked smugly, happy to have caused him some harm. He noticed her expression and his eyes narrowed angrily.

"You owe me your life, remember that."

She blinked in surprise, "As if! You saved me on your own terms!"

He raised a single eyebrow, saying nothing but conveying his meaning with expression alone. For someone who liked to be unreadable, he sure made himself easy to understand at times.

She resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably, keeping her stubborn chin jutted slightly in a clear show that she still believed she was correct in her statement.

"What is the voice?" he asked suddenly instead, closing his eyes only briefly as his head tilted, "I can hear it, and so can they."

Her face swept into a cool mask, "You know, I could have handled it just fine without you. I would have discovered Kanna in a few more seconds if you had let me." She purposely avoided answering his direct question and shifted back to their earlier one. Not even she knew what the voice was.

"In a few more seconds you wouldn't have a soul."

"You don't know that you stupid egotistical demon! Who are you to judge me! If I remember correctly, I won our little match last time." She seethed, her icy composure shattering at his jibes.

He glared darkly at her, "Don't speak to me in such a voice onna, or I may just kill you and be done with your pitiful existence." Then, with a raised eyebrow he added, "In our last battle there was no victor, you ran away quite cowardly."

In pure frustration she stamped her foot onto the ground, "I did _not_!"

He seemed tired of their confrontation, for his only answer was a hard stare that clearly spoke everything he thought about on her completely childish denial. She herself felt slightly embarrassed, but refused to let it show. If she wanted to act childish, then God be damned she would!

Without another word he disappeared from her view, once he was certain she wouldn't press the issue and seemed thoroughly cowed. It was his victory tonight, at least when it came to dialoguing blows, and she hated him with every fiber of her being for besting her at her greatest and most favorite game. 'I'll get you back for this demon! Mark my words!'

….

It was with obvious relief when she came upon the welcoming sight of her home, before said relief darkened into annoyance. Somehow, Yusuke Urameshi was waiting with crossed arms in front of her door, leaning casually against the wooden frame with no regard to her property. He seemed completely at ease waiting for her, as he should be since he thought her human, but it still pissed her off. At any rate, she couldn't face him in her current condition without suspicions rising, and also the small fact of his abnormally strong spirit energy caused caution to her steps. It seemed he wasn't bothering to hide it anymore. If she had doubted before, she was positive now: he truly was the rumored Spirit Detective feared in the demon world. What truly worried her was how he even knew she lived here. As if her night could get any worse…

"I know you're there." He suddenly sighed, his voice sounding quite tired and worn.

She inwardly cursed, of course he could sense her, just as easily as she could sense him if she had been paying attention. At the very least she was thankful that she remembered to keep her demonic attributes cloaked, but that still didn't change how she was getting so rusty. Being in the human world lowered her acute awareness to her surroundings. She blamed the delusion about this world being free of demons and completely safe to her fallen skill.

"Damn, and here I thought I had such a good hiding spot. You didn't even count to ten. You know that's considered cheating don't you?" she didn't bother to try running away, nor did she even attempt to conceal her form any longer. Instead she stepped forward and faced him, her cool eyes locked upon him in search of any motion he might make.

For the first time his gaze moved onto her, and the brief widening of his eyes told her he hadn't expected her condition. He did think she was human after all, and normally humans wouldn't return home bloodied up with sword slashes coupled with a giant gaping hole in their right shoulder.

"Holy fuck, you look like shit."

She raised an eyebrow, "Nice to see you too, lovely evening isn't it?"

"Not for you…" he muttered, and she rolled her eyes. She didn't even take into consideration the double meaning that statement might hold.

Instead with a tired sigh she closed more distance between them, "What do you want? Here for revenge?" the free hand that wasn't clutching a blood spouting wound reached inside her pocket, searching for her condo keys.

Yusuke looked away from her briefly, "Not completely."

That put her on guard, and she now watched him with her full attention, "Then what?"

"You're a demon." It wasn't a question.

She backed slightly away from him, "Oh? What makes you think that? Odd thing to be saying, since demons don't exist…I never knew you were so bitter about that punch Yusuke."

He glared, "Please, you're acting sucks ass." He didn't even notice the use of his name, maybe he thought it a given his enemies know it before hand?

She narrowed her eyes, "What acting?"

He watched her for a long minute, before stuffing his hands into his pockets, "I figured it out earlier today, when you got angry."

She thought back to their first confrontation, and tried to sort out how her anger had given her away. Frowning she urged with her eyes for him to continue.

Frustrated at having to explain, Yusuke growled, "Your energy flared dumbass! When you got angry your control on however the hell you cloak your power shattered for a second! Jesus it doesn't take a fucking genius to figure it out."

Annoyed at his tone she snapped, "Alright, what does it matter to you?"

"It makes it easier." He shrugged, and she blinked.

"Easier for what…?" she was almost afraid to ask.

His gaze then turned to lock with hers, "To capture you."

She felt her blood chill, and now took a large leap to create some distance between them, "Why?" she asked, dread filling her. She may not be completely useless, but she wasn't fully at her peak either, which she would need to be if she wanted to battle Yusuke.

His teeth grinded together, "Because I have to! Keiko will die if I don't!"

Her eyes narrowed, "Again with Keiko? Who the hell is she? Why is she so damn important?" If she kept him talking, then maybe she'd have enough time to heal her wounds. It would cost her, but at least she could move freely and have a chance to recover her strength. It took energy to heal by demonic means, and though it was faster than normal, it still took time she didn't have. It was best to convert that energy into more useful means, since miko energy wouldn't affect her opponent.

"She just is." He said simply, watching her warily, "Though I have no idea why you are."

So much for keeping him talking, he was a master of short-to-the-point answers. His statement formed a question to her lips though, "What do you mean? Why do you need me of all people?"

"Whoever the hell that bastard is, he asked for you…Kagome, that's your name right?"

"If I say no will that change anything? What if my name was Bob?"

He didn't even seem to acknowledge her statement, "If I bring you back to him alive, then he'll give me Keiko unharmed." He seemed truly tormented by her fate, and by the actions he had to take to ensure her safety. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he formed one into the shape of a gun with his index finger pointing straight at her, "I have no choice."

Her eyes only had time to widen before a large blast of energy sailed towards her. Without conscious thought she hurled a shield out in front of her, the action more of a reflex then tactical thinking, which made it rather weak. The energy smashed into her defenses, exploding on impact and shattering the ditch effort wall, causing her to fly some good feet back. Despite the pain she managed to twist her body to land on her feet, hissing as her skin stung with an odd burning sensation that felt like she had fallen in fire.

He watched her impassively all the while, not saying anything as he readied another assault. If she wanted the next time she woke up not to be in chains, she had to think of something fast. Her energy was depleted, but not completely, she had taken worse beatings. Mostly it was her wounded arm leaking large amounts of blood that kept her from perfection. When he blasted at her again, she dodged to the side, her own attack ready as she hurled a swirling ball of ice.

He cursed, dodging as well, and she appeared behind him with another attack ready. This time her ball of energy struck, he having not enough time to dodge while flying right into her. As a result he was sent flying in the opposite direction, numerous cuts across his flesh as the ice daggers sliced against him. The damage was encouraging, but not nearly enough for actual harm. She'd have to pull out stronger than that.

As he landed on his feet, she appeared in front of him, her fist swinging to collide with his face. Surprisingly he blocked, his firm grip encircling her hand as his expression lifted to a more determined gleam. They each had something very important to fight for, but she refused to lose.

Out of sheer habit she summoned her pure power to her captured hand, having been used to enemies who were demons and knowing this always assured her escape. Strangely he cursed, letting go of her fist with a sharp hiss. When she studied his hand she found it slightly pink, as if the energy had given him a minor burn. Considering the amount she had mustered, it was strange that it would only be a slight burn if he was truly a demon. Unless he was only part…

"You have demon blood?" it was a surprised question.

He glared at her, "How do you know? My spirit energy usually covers it up pretty good."

She stared at her still slightly glowing hands, "Because this power can only harm demons."

His expression became confused, "What power is that? It feels…pure."

"Pfft, like I'd tell you." She scoffed, dismissing his question completely, her mood lighting with a sudden forming idea. Now it was only a matter of getting Yusuke to listen.

Annoyed her hurled a fist in her direction, and this time it was her who caught it with an iron grip, "You know, there is a saying that my enemy's enemy is my friend." She stated, sending a hinting wink.

He frowned, "What are you trying to say? Just spit it out."

With a bored expression she explained, "I'm saying, stupid, that we don't have to fight. We can team up and kill this bastard together. I have a plan that won't get Keiko hurt."

He scoffed, filling his own hand with spirit energy, "Yeah right."

With a hiss she released him, annoyed he used her own trick against her. What an ass. Dodging multiple swings in her direction she barely had time draw her blade. Using her left hand to wield it, she contemplated her next course of attack. Her left hand wasn't her more dominate hand, but a true swordsman could use either arm in battle.

Appearing behind him she circled the blade around his throat, pinning both his arms behind his back, though with painful difficulty, "Listen, I'm telling the truth. You're just as pissed off at this guy as I am. He's strong, whoever he is; he has to be to elude me for so long and to gain so much unconditional loyalty. Apart we can't hope to defeat him; together we'll have the upper hand."

With a growl he freed himself, jarring her battered shoulder in the process. She winced, clutching at the wound as it split open further. At this rate she wasn't going to have much of a shoulder left. Noting the blood that continued to ooze out of the gash with sickening speed, she also realized with a grimace that it wasn't just an arm she had to worry about.

"Why should I trust you?"

She stared at him with steady eyes, "Because you don't trust him. He's your enemy, I'm not."

"Keh, you sure proved it earlier today."

She frowned, "That punch has nothing to do with now and you know it."

He looked away, "It doesn't matter. I don't need your help. I'm strong enough and you shouldn't even be in the human world anyways."

She refrained from sighing, this guy would be hard to convince and time wasn't exactly in her favor, then again it never was, "If you bring me to him exactly as he asked, Keiko will die before she reaches your hand. He's heartless, if the way he treats his minions is anything to go by; he'll kill her just to spite you."

With a desperate cry of, "You're wrong!" he swung at her again.

This time, due to an increased lack of blood, she wasn't fast enough to block it. The world seemed to fade out of existence briefly as she sailed through the air, her cheek burning from the raw energy he forced into the blow.

"You know I don't like doing this type of thing." He murmured, not bothering to take advantage of her while she was down, "But I have no choice. I only have until tomorrow, and I don't even know where the bastard is!"

Slowly sitting up she rubbed her abused cheek, "You really are an idiot. Here I thought you were someone worthy of the fear people have of you. Your reputation precedes you Yusuke Urameshi, because a smarter warrior with your feelings and position would be wise enough to see the plain alternative in front of him."

He crossed his arms, "There is none."

She stood up, clutching her shoulder, "Yes, there is if you wouldn't be so bullheaded about it! What part of 'I have a plan that won't get Keiko hurt' do you not understand?!"

He swung at her again, but this time there was no real enthusiasm behind it. She was winning. Grabbing onto his hand before it could collide with her stomach, she faced him and looked him straight in the eyes, "Listen to me, and I know it doesn't seem warranted considering my position but listen anyways. Do you honestly think whoever this demon is he's going to give you Keiko back just like that? Surely you've experienced other hostage situations before?" Waiting for his affirmation, which she received in his silence, she continued, "Exactly. If I'm beaten to a pulp and unconscious, he'll just take me, kill you, and leave Keiko to whatever fate he might have planned."

"How do you know he'll be able to kill me?"

She smiled devilishly at him, "Because, before I go anywhere near the state of comatose, I'd make sure you were as close to dead as I could get you. I recognize that you'd win, but only because I'm not at my best. Trust me, it'll take a lot more than some meager punches and spirit blasts to keep me down for any length of time." She shrugged slightly, "I'm sure he's taken that factor into account as well, I know I would have."

"Why would he kill me though? What makes you so sure?"

She raised both her eyebrows as if in doubt of his intelligence, "Are you serious? You'd be horribly weak and most likely incapable of protecting yourself. In the demon world, Yusuke Urameshi and his little gang is enemy number one. Demons tell ghost stories of you to scare their children in line. Don't be stupid, why would he waste the chance to get rid of a common foe?"

Yusuke fell silent. After a time he pulled away from her, and she let him go, though his muscles didn't completely relax as he mused over the possibilities of her arrangement. With his eyes never leaving her form, finally he spoke, "What kind of plan do you have in mind?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Comments:** So yet another chapter finished and posted just for you. I'm happy to see that I'm gaining new reviewers, as well as mataining the old! I hope that this chapter was to your liking, and you continue to read and enjoy my work! As always, I look forward to hearing all you think about my story, good or bad, and I shall try to up-date soon! Until next time! Ja ne!

**Number of Reviews Received on Previous Chapter: **9

**Total Number of Reviews: **18**  
**

**Current Chapter Completed:** February 25 2009

**Next Chapter Preview**: My Enemy's Enemy is my Friend?: _…"Her eyes snapped open as cool slender fingers encircled her neck and lifted her from the floor, her own hands reflexively grabbing at the offender's wrists in an attempt to break free, "Miko, it has been quite some time." The voice purred into her ear, a malicious chuckle vibrating from his throat near the end, "I knew you were awake the whole time."" _

**Thanks To:** **_Aoko Rosetta_** (Thanks I hope this chapter is equally awesome!), _**moonlightshadow123**_ (Glad you like it so much! All will be revealed eventually, and Kagome has no recollection of ever being human, so she hates them like all demons do), **_kinky-kitsune_** (Thanks for the review! Yeah, who ever _does_ want to go to school? Joyed to see you still reading, hope it was still good!), _**mai1837**_ (Hope this is awesome too! Was it quick enough of an up-date?), **_Reads-way-2-much_** (I up-dated I up-dated!! Hope this keeps your interested satisfide! Nice to see you still reading, I look forward to more reviews!), _**cowgirlkitten2000**_ (I know, it was just to tempting to resist! Thanks for your review!), **_Demonic kunoichiKagi_** (As you can tell, yes, yes it was lol! Hope this installment was good!), **_LeafeKnight7_** (Glad to see your still reading, and I hope this was clear for you! Looking forward to more reviews!), **_-Yuna's Reincarnation-1_** (I know, glad my days aren't like that! Happy to see you still reading, hope this installment continued to please you!)


	4. My Enemy's Enemy is My Friend?

**Summary:** Warning, Slight A/U: The hunted always look for a means to run from the hunter, Kagome knows this all too well. Escaping to the Ningenkai from demon pursuers who want her for unknown reasons in Makai, she soon learns that blending in and living life as a human is more difficult than expected. In her life of bitter ice she runs across a kindred spirit known as Hiei with a burning angry fire. A strange bond draws them to each other, and through a twist in fate her first seeming friend becomes yet another hunter as the Spirit Detectives are sent to capture her. Oddly enough, she finds it harder to resist capture as an odd companionship forged through blood and sacrifice forms with Hiei when her demon pursuers from Makai come once again to claim her.

**Last Time:** Kagome runs into strange demons that came with the mission of returning her to their master. Just when she's about to cut them to bits, a strange demon known as Kanna begins to suck out her soul. Luckily Hiei was there to save her, and after a brief confrontation he left with the knowledge that Kagome now owed him her life. Wounded and weary, but otherwise alright, Kagome travels home looking for a good night's rest only to find Yusuke waiting for her at her own door! In a twist of fate it seemed that in order to safely retrieve a kidnapped Keiko from her demon captors he must take Kagome to the captor alive. The two dueled, and eventually Kagome convinces him to team up with her.

**Dark Angel**

**Chapter Three: My Enemy's Enemy is My Friend?**

She let out a small held breath, relaxing. It was better to have Yusuke as an alley then an enemy, at least for now, "A damn good one. Come inside and we'll talk." She pointedly peered warily into the darkness, "I don't want prying ears to overhear our conversation."

He seemed rather reluctant at first, until he gave her condition another once over, "Alright, but you do anything funny and I swear I'll hand you over to him dead." Apparently he thought if he really needed to, he could overpower her with ease.

"You can try." She laughed, pulling out her keys before walking boldly past him to the door, keeping a mark on him from the corner of her eye. Hey, she didn't fully trust him yet either.

Opening the door she moved aside to allow him entrance first. Taking his suspicious glare as a silently spoken, "Fuck you, I'm not falling for that!" she rolled her eyes and walked into the warming darkness of her home, waiting for him to follow. Turning on the light she relaxed as the room flourished to life around her, relishing in the comfortable familiarity it gave. Spotting her couch she nodded, deciding that it was the perfect place to discuss what they had to. With slow strides she made her way towards the single two cushion couch in her cozy living room.

The two seated themselves, each pressed to the very edge of the furniture. Clearly they both had some trust issues to work out, but that would come in time, she hoped. With a sigh she focused on mending her arm, while trying hard to keep from laughing as Yusuke tensed at the feel of her pure energy. It seemed he wasn't accustomed to the flow of magic that physically pained him just to be next to.

After a minute the wound was healed enough that her demon abilities could mend the rest with little trouble. Now thoroughly exhausted she relaxed into her chair, trying to keep her lack of energy secret from Yusuke least he decided for whatever reason to double cross her. Bluffing was her specialty, and it had saved her ass more times than one.

Silence lapsed between them.

"So…how did Keiko get nabbed anyways?" she ventured out, curious. At his reluctant gaze she added, "Hey, I need to have an idea of who we're dealing with so I can fortify my plan, alright?"

"I thought you knew so much about him!"

She growled, aggravated, "Yeah, about how he sends his little lackeys after me, and then only the whispered words I pound out of them. He constantly escapes my detection, and no one seems willing enough to give his secrets away. It'll be nice to know how you got all spun up in this so I can see if anything needs to be altered in my idea."

Yusuke sighed and at first seemed like he wasn't going to share. After some time had passed he finally spoke (just before she was about ready to snap at him) with a voice that sounded tormented, "Well, while I was out on a mission for the stupid Toddler some demon here on Earth got her."

She lifted an eyebrow, "Toddler?"

He sighed, "Koenma, you know, prince of the spirit world? I'm a spirit detective. You know what those are right?" his tone was annoyed

She nodded, "Yes yes, I was just clarifying. I know all about who and what you are Mr. Spirit Detective. You _are_ rather infamous in the demon world after all." Then she peered at him closely, ignoring Yusuke's smug grin at the mention of his renown, "What sort of mission? And when did you go?"

Grinding his teeth he answered, "Just yesterday. He asked us to get rid of some rowdy demons that were trying to break the barrier into Tokyo." Then he sneered at her and snapped, "Anything else you need to know?"

"Yeah," she bit back, "tell me exactly how and when you found out she was gone, and then what happened from there. It's important." She resisted the urge to slap him around just so his jaw would loosen up so he could tell her something useful.

"Alright, I found out this morning. There was a call from her mom, she said Keiko went out last night and never came home. She wasn't answering her cell, so she wondered if she was with me." He shrugged, "I was worried, but I didn't think too much of it. I went to school to see if she was there, because sometimes Keiko does little study nights and falls asleep. Usually she calls her mom when she wakes up, but I thought maybe her cell had died."

He sent her a haunting gaze, "After I couldn't find her I was going to leave. That's when I ran into you. I thought you were human until you got angry and spilled some of your power. When you punched me there was a sting of cold on my face, like it had gotten frost bite. I knew for sure that you were a demon then, but I wanted to find Keiko first. After I left I ran into another demon. Fuck if it was my damn lucky day."

Kagome rested her chin on her hands, eyes never wavering from Yusuke as he continued his tale, "The guy told me that they had Keiko, and if I wanted to see her alive, I had to follow him. He gave me the old kidnapper speech, you know the one: tell no one or she dies, don't go to Koenma, yadda yadda yadda." He shrugged helplessly, "So I decided to follow him, and he led me to this weird little girl with a mirror and a guy in a white monkey suit."

She waved her hands, "Wow, no funny stuff ok? I mean really, a guy in a white monkey suit?"

"Don't interrupt!" Yusuke snapped, and then regaining his composure he continued, "Yeah, a guy in a white monkey suit! Well, he was actually a demon in a monkey suit, and I'm pretty sure the girl had to be a demon too, but I couldn't sense anything from her. She showed me Keiko in her fucked up mirror, tied and being held in some unknown dungeon, unconscious."

"Kanna of the Void…" she murmured softly, frowning.

"Kanna of the what?"

"Void." she repeated simply.

"When did you meet her?"

Her answered was flippant, "I met her tonight; she tried to suck out my soul. It doesn't matter though," then urging with her hands she commanded, "continue."

He shuddered slightly, as if envisioning such a fate, before sighing, "That's when he told me the conditions to get her back. He showed me a picture of you, and told me your name and where to find you." Yusuke peered at her curiously, "I was kinda surprised. It was such a weird coincidence I ran into you before all this."

She shrugged, "I'm just freaky like that. I swear I'm Fate's favorite play thing."

Yusuke smiled slightly, before his expression grew solemn and he spoke again, "He said tonight you would return home late, beaten up, and that I was supposed to take advantage of that and capture you alive. Then I had to bring you to a meeting point in the human world, where these demons would then take us to the demon world. After that I'd get Keiko back."

Her eyes narrowed, "So everything was planned from the start. The bastard even knows where I live!? How did he know the demons would fail though? I thought Kanna was there to ensure their victory…" she trailed off, completely puzzled.

Yusuke eyed her, "How _did_ you manage to escape?"

"I had some unexpected help. I think I still could have handled the situation myself, but there's no guarantee I could have found the soul-sucking bitch before it was too late." She shrugged, "I got lucky, though I'll never admit it to my savior's face."

He was silent for a moment then said, "If this demon guy is what you make him out to be, maybe he considered that option already? Maybe Kanna was there to make sure you were hurt before they were killed by your 'hero'." he watched her, waiting to hear what she thought on the matter.

She shook her head, "That can't be…I just met him for the first time three days ago, and our meeting wasn't really what you would call friendly." She laughed, "We both tried to kill each other."

He looked at her oddly, "And you're sure this is the same guy that saved you?"

She rolled her eyes, "It's impossible for him to be anyone else. No one else has that superiority complex and asshole-like personality."

Yusuke snorted, "Sounds exactly like someone I know…"

The two fell into silence.

"Maybe...maybe the spell wasn't broken by her lack of concentration." Kagome suddenly stated, her mind piecing together possibilities.

"What spell? Who's concentration?"

"The one Kanna used to suck out my soul." She answered then continued with her earlier thought, "Maybe she can only hold so much of a soul for so long, because during the fight it felt like she stopped when it was almost all gone. After I got it back, all my power came with it, so I could have easily dispatched my enemies then. That would explain why he needed you." She glanced at Yusuke then, "But, if this was all planned, why did you look so surprised to see me hurt?"

He shrugged, "It all just seemed so surreal. Even though I was certain you were a demon, it was hard to imagine when you could cancel all your demon energy out and give off a human aura. I don't know of any other demon who can do that. I know of lots who can hide their presence completely, but not give off another altogether." He shook his head, "Anyways, since the burst of demon energy was only brief, the only thing that convinced me was my semi-frozen cheek. It's hard picturing you not being normal, and seeing all those wounds, it just kinda enforced that it was true, set it in stone yeah know?"

She nodded, "That makes sense, but why did he choose you I wonder?" It was a mystery that had been bothering her for some time, "He's sent stronger demons after me in the past…and choosing you risks his exposure to Spirit World." her expression turned thoughtful, "Hey Yusuke, what can you tell me about the barrier?"

Yusuke looked at her quizzically, "Why are you asking me? You're the one who crossed it…you did cross it right?"

She nodded her head at him impatiently, "Yes yes, and I had…some help. I don't understand the technicalities about it, just never mind. How can demons cross it?"

Rubbing his temples Yusuke sighed, "Do I have to explain? The stronger a demon is, the harder it is for a demon to slip through the barrier. Weaker demons have the least resistance, because the barrier reacts to the amount of demonic energy they emit. That's why most demons in the human world are lower-leveled, unless an over-achiever decides to make it his life's ambition to cross. Usually it doesn't happen though, because stronger demons aren't very interested in 'pathetic' human lives."

She nodded sagely, "I thought so, but I wanted to hear it from an inside source. I guess that explains why he hired you."

Yusuke blinked, "How does that explain anything?"

She sighed, "Because, in case you didn't pick up on it, I'm stronger than low-leveled demons. Since no strong demons can get through, at least none strong enough that would listen to whoever the hell he is, he had to send in a bunch of weaker demons and hire some muscle that's already inside. It had to be someone strong enough to fight against me, yet have a weakness to extort so they would obey without question…you fit perfectly."

He grew angry, "So in other words, Keiko's in this mess entirely because of _you_."

"No," she said sharply, eyes narrowed, "Because you just happen to be very strong, and very loyal to those you care for."

Silence settled for a moment, a time they both took to evaluate all they had learned.

Crossing his arms, Yusuke lounge back into the couch, "Now that I've answered your questions, you have to answer mine."

She eyed him warily, "What sort of questions…?"

He looked at his nails, "For starters, why the hell doesn't Koenma know about you?" then he raised his eyebrows, "And how _did_ you manage to get across the barrier?"

She sighed, "Of course you'd ask me that, little detective. Fine, the secret won't cost me anything." She paused briefly to look him straight in the eye, "I was taught to cancel out my demonic energy. I didn't know the reasons why it would work, because going through the barrier was petty rushed. As for why Koenma has no idea I'm here, it's most likely because I didn't even cause a blimp on his radar."

"What would you do if I told Koenma a demon could phase through the barrier unchecked?" he suddenly challenged, just to prove that her secrets were valuable like his were and they were sharing equal worth of information.

She shrugged, "Backstab you and kill your little girlfriend? Unlike some demons, I don't waste my time with hostage situations, too much hassle."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "Next question." His voice was sharp when he continued, "What kind of power did you use back then when you burned me?"

She shook her head, "Now now detective, don't get ahead of yourself. I didn't ask you for your fighting secrets, so you can't ask me for mine. We trade in like-value ok?"

He huffed, "Whatever." Then eyed her curiously, "Why are the demons even after you? Did you kill someone important or something?"

She shrugged, "That's a mystery even to me. I have no idea why they want me; I can't cry tears of crystal like those born pure in my race can."

He raised an eyebrow, "You're an ice maiden? Really?"

She glared, "Not entirely, but that's none of your business."

He shrugged, "Whatever, I don't care. Tell me what you're big plan is, then we'll see if this alliance still works."

Crossing her legs and clasping her hands together in a very professional-like manor, she looked at her would-be alley with a promising grin, "Ok fearsome punk Yusuke Urameshi, here's what I have in mind."

…..

Kagome grew impatient as the time slowly ticked by. Every fiber of her being rallied against the contact with Yusuke, but she knew that if she even so much as twitched, their cover would be blown. Currently she was being held carelessly slung over the Spirit Detective's shoulder, feigning unconsciousness as their weak demon 'friends' accompanied them through the barrier to the meeting point. The barrier allowed them to pass through with little restraint; the weak demon auras of their 'companions' hardly caused a blimp, while Yusuke's and her own were dispelled by other unique methods.

It didn't take them long to emerge to an unfamiliar castle surrounded by the forests of the Makai, the moon's pale rays casting eerie shadows allowing for a very ominous feel to the area. She forced her body to relax as excitement and fear hummed within her; finally she would meet the one who had been hunting her for so long.

"Where's Keiko? I'm not moving another step until I see she's fine." Yusuke's voice sounded confident and annoyed with their situation, something the demons were displeased to realize.

"She's inside." One of the three demons informed, probably eying Yusuke rather cautiously by the sound of his voice, "Bring the woman and you'll get to see your fair maiden in due time."

She felt Yusuke shake his head, "No asshole, I said I'm not movin till I know she's ok."

The three demons spoke with one another in lowered voices, their words slurring together, making it impossible to pick out threads of conversation. For a moment they were all quiet, and then she felt a spike of power that seemed to connect with a more ominous power in the unknown distance. All the while she was aware of Yusuke's building annoyance, his muscles tensing as his impatience rolled off him in waves.

Finally the same demon as before spoke, "My Lord will not fulfill your request. He assures you Keiko is fine for now, but will not be for much longer if you continue to defy his conditions."

A growl tore from Yusuke's throat, "Fine, but mark my words if even a single hair is outta place, I'll blow this whole fucking castle up." and he continued forward towards the building, movements jerky from his rage.

It only took them a few minutes to cross the giant court yard. The castle itself seemed to be stuck in the past from her brief chanced glimpses, the style like those of great lords in the feudal era. They paused at two giant doors, and the demons stepped forward, murmuring spells as a group. Cautioning a quick glance out of sheer paranoia, she was able to see the door glow before a noise, like that of a lock moving, sounded. As the two giant doors of the castle slowly swung open, the demons stepped back and motioned for them to go inside, "Here is where we part. Our Lord awaits you beyond this door."

It took a moment before Yusuke stepped inside; she could feel his neck turned in the direction of the demons. There was no doubt that he watching them with suspicious eyes with every step he took in front of them. Once darkness fully swallowed them, she heard the doors creek shut behind them, and for a moment they were plunged into total blackness and silence.

"How fucking cliché." She heard Yusuke mumble with a shake of his head.

A light suddenly flared in front of them, and she couldn't help but agree with how unoriginal this whole set up was. No doubt the keeper of the castle now sat before them in some kind of throne-type chair, two lanterns on either side, Keiko in chains at his feet, with the smuggest grin in the world on his face. It just seemed to fit the dramatics of everything. Risking a quick peek, she was rather shocked to find that indeed she had imagined it completely accurately, except for the grin since his face was hooded with a baboon mask. Go figure, bad guys really were predictable, though the baboon outfit did destroy the seriousness of the situation.

The plan pretty much went as follows: Yusuke handed her over to the demon, who thought she was unconscious, and while he was holding her, she'd slice off his head after he handed Keiko over to Yusuke, who would then leave before the demon realized she was awake. It was pretty basic, but very likely to work and with no danger to Keiko.

"Yusuke!" a female voice, probably Keiko who was very much conscious now, cried out towards him in startled desperation.

She felt Yusuke toss her carelessly to the floor and found it very hard to keep from moving to brace for the impact. He had warned her that he would, to keep their alliance a secret, but it didn't change how difficult it was to fight the natural instinct to preserve one's welfare.

"There, you have her now. Give me Keiko." His tone was very clipped and angry.

A smooth and terrifyingly familiar voice replied, "As you can see, the girl is unharmed, if not a little shaken. Detective, I am pleased to see that you have upheld our bargain."

"Yeah yeah, can I have Keiko back now?"

"As you wish boy, take your maiden and wash your hands of this business." his tone never lost the velvet smoothness that could caress any female into willing submission, despite the dangerous intent that lingered in each word.

He suddenly threw Keiko, still bound in chains, towards the nearest wall. As Yusuke ran to catch her before she could hit the stone, the strange demon moved to Kagome's helpless form on the ground. She had no time to react; everything happened fast and without witnessing it she was slow to realize what occurred.

Her eyes snapped open as cool slender fingers encircled her neck and lifted her from the floor, her own hands reflexively grabbing at the offender's wrists in an attempt to break free, "Miko, it has been quite some time." The voice purred into her ear, a malicious chuckle vibrating from his throat near the end, "I knew you were awake the whole time."

For a moment she was frozen in complete fear, every idea of her plan slipping into the haze of hysteria that was clouding her thoughts. It was irrational, but staring into the demon hunter's half hooded face, her body raced with clouding panic. Something about him made her skin crawl and sent chills up every part of her body. Even his ridiculous disguise that normally would have caused her to laugh out loud, felt just as malicious and foreboding as the individual who wore it. This demon's aura screamed for her to run away from him with every ounce of abnormal speed she had.

"W-Who are you?" she choked out with a stutter, far too frightened to even be embarrassed by her show of weakness.

He seemed to be taking great pleasure in the reaction she was giving, "I am many things, but to you _my_ Miko, I am Naraku."

The name sent a tremor through her body, "What do you want with me?" she was pleased that she said it without stuttering this time.

Before he could answer, he suddenly turned around and numerous amounts of tentacle-like limbs sprouted from under his white costume, forming a shield that shattered a second later from Yusuke's spirit attack. The pieces scattered everywhere across the floor, like mutilated body parts blown apart by an explosion. Yet despite the impact his hands still held onto her neck, not tight enough to squeeze the life from her, but present enough that she couldn't escape.

"Hey asshole! Let her go!"

She was actually surprised Yusuke had tried anything. She was sure if he had simply grabbed Keiko and fled, Naraku as he was now known as, would do nothing to stop them. This creature, no monster, seemed to have eyes solely for her. How lucky was she?

"You try my patience with you boy!" Naraku snarled, and another round of his numerous limbs with pointed spear-like tips shot towards Yusuke. He managed to dodge most of the attack, but a branch caught the side of his arm and sliced it open.

That was enough to snap her back to reality. With a cry she summoned her miko powers and pooled the energy into her hands that were still gripping Naraku's. Strangely, the appendages merely melted instead of burning, but the purpose was served and she found herself finally free from his clutches. Jumping away she landed some distance from him, a hand rubbing at her abused throat as dry breaths heaved her lungs. Her body shook, from fear or adrenaline she knew not.

Realizing that his prey was gone, Naraku snarled and the pieces of limbs on the floor suddenly pieced back together underneath him, forming an ominous mass of movement that lifted him from the ground. Random tentacles shot out at each of them, and she had no time to see how Yusuke faired as she drew her blade and began hacking away. To her horror, whatever she chopped simply formed back together no matter how many times she cut it.

Growing annoyed, she began to freeze the many limbs that sliced at her before smashing them into billions of tiny crystals. She was relieved to see that these ones did not form back together. As her hand rose to hurtle another attack, a random tentacle dashed out and encircled her wrist, before another grabbed her leg. She was suddenly heaved off the floor and she felt a wave of nausea threaten to rise out of her. Growling she froze them without hassle and broke free, landing on the floor in a slight crouch.

Briefly she had time to notice that both Yusuke and his girlfriend were entangled in the vines, before she had to dodge another attack. Honestly, he was such a useless ally….

"Damn it!" Yusuke yelled, tugging at the root-like limbs that were attempting to choke him.

Eyes glowing, she quickly focused her energy to freeze the vines detaining him. It was a tedious task that took energy, for the further away someone was the less influence she had upon them. Normally the distance Yusuke presented was rather easy to influence, but being exhausted from her fights tonight and from the use of her miko power, it was a bit more a feet to accomplish than normal. A vine snapped out to grab her, and she quickly froze it with her free hand. Yusuke was finally free. Panting she retracted the power and instead focused on freezing the ones within her immediate area.

Yusuke turned to her and for a moment they shared a look, her ending it with a nod of understanding. It was a silent "thank you," and an, "I won't forget this." She figured it was the least she could do for the distraction he gave earlier. Now she owed him nothing.

"Miko, you belong to me." Naraku stated, eyeing her with a strange possession. The nickname he used when addressing her greatly disturbed her; it rang with empty familiarity, like when a person knew they had a dream but forgot what it was about.

With a growl she hacked away another root that shot out at her and hissed, "I belong to no one!"

"Damn straight!" Yusuke suddenly agreed from behind Naraku. His finger was pointing directly at the demon like it had at her early in the night, "Spirit Gun!"

The blast was more powerful than it had ever been, which meant he probably held back for her sake, both at the battle and while in Naraku's clutches. Whoever the demon was, she doubted she'd get the chance to find out, for Naraku screamed as he slowly disintegrated from the large wave of raw power. When the blast cleared, all that remained was a small human-like doll with a single hair wrapped around it, which promptly broke in half. She eyed it warily, for some reason she knew that piece was significant.

"Yusuke! I'm glad you're alright!" Keiko called, emerging from a secluded corner as she ran to embrace him. He was panting only slightly from his exertion of power.

While the two reunited she walked towards the doll-like piece, bending down to pick it up and examine it more closely. Her eyes narrowed at the feel of demonic energy that coated the poorly replicated human figure in thick waves. An enchantment had been set upon the object.

"Yeah well, demons are nothing compared to my power!" Yusuke boasted to Keiko, a superior grin lifting his lips, "That asshole wasn't so strong." He then turned to Kagome and smirked, "And you thought I couldn't handle _that_ guy on my own? Please he was so weak!"

Her eyes snapped over to him, "Idiot, that wasn't the real thing."

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**Comments:** Dun dun duuh! Ok, I know not a lot of Kagome-Hiei action has happened, but I promise there will be more in the next chapter! I'm building the plot so be patient! Sorry this took so long, I'll try to be quicker next time! Like always I look very much forward to your reviews! They inspire me to write! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you keep on reading!

**Number of Reviews Received on Previous Chapter: **6

**Total Number of Reviews: **24

**Current Chapter Completed:** March 26, 2009

**Next Chapter Preview**: Puppets: …_"It happened too quickly, all she saw was a black blur before she felt herself falling off the slide. Her eyes involuntarily closed as the wind rushed around her hair. She felt warm arms wrap tightly around her, and started to panic, struggling relentlessly against the iron grip that refused to release her. She was caught."_…

**Thanks To:****_ kinky-kitsune _**(Ha ha yeah Kags always has the worst luck! Seems to be getting a bit better, but who knows how long that'll last? Glad to know you're still reading and hope to hear from you again!) _**43InuAsha**_ (Glad to hear that you like it! Hope this installment was just as pleasing!)**_ -Yuna's Reincarnation-1_** (Ha ha you seem to be guessing right! Always happy to know you're still reading! Hope to hear from you some more!)**_ moonlightshadow123_** (tee hee all will be known in time! Glad you like the action scenes and Hiei will come around, eventually. Yeah, Yusuke is a potty mouth majoryly...jeesh that kid needs some soap!) **_Reads-way-2-much_** (lol! I get like that too sometimes when I read! Always happy to hear from you! Hope this chapter was to your liking as well!)**_ cowgirlkitten2000_** (Thank you for your review! I hope you continue reading! Always nice to hear from my regulars!)


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